$113 million, 2-year, S.F. schools cut asked

Superintendent proposes $113 million over 2 years

Published 4:00 am, Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Jean Parker Elementary teacher Celia Magtoto and her husband, Felix, signal to traffic to honk in protest of school budget cuts Tuesday in San Francisco.

Jean Parker Elementary teacher Celia Magtoto and her husband, Felix, signal to traffic to honk in protest of school budget cuts Tuesday in San Francisco.

Photo: Lacy Atkins, The Chronicle

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Superintendent of Schools, Carlos Garcia listens to members of the community, Tuesday Jan. 26, 2010, in San Francisco, Calif. Garcia announced the plan to severely cut the spending across the district by 113 million dollars in the next two years. less

Superintendent of Schools, Carlos Garcia listens to members of the community, Tuesday Jan. 26, 2010, in San Francisco, Calif. Garcia announced the plan to severely cut the spending across the district by 113 ... more

Photo: Lacy Atkins, The Chronicle

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Xavier and sister Grace Malizia play as members of the community protest school budget cuts Tuesday in San Francisco.

Xavier and sister Grace Malizia play as members of the community protest school budget cuts Tuesday in San Francisco.

Photo: Lacy Atkins, The Chronicle

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Marshall Elementary kindergartner Grace Malizia, 6, listens as teachers and other members of the community sing protest songs before the school board meeting Tuesday in San Francisco.

Marshall Elementary kindergartner Grace Malizia, 6, listens as teachers and other members of the community sing protest songs before the school board meeting Tuesday in San Francisco.

Photo: Lacy Atkins, The Chronicle

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Teachers and members of the community protest school budget cuts Tuesday in San Francisco.

Teachers and members of the community protest school budget cuts Tuesday in San Francisco.

Photo: Lacy Atkins, The Chronicle

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Antonio Mankini and Bobbie Washington yell to commuters to honk in protest of school budget cuts Tuesday in San Francisco.

Antonio Mankini and Bobbie Washington yell to commuters to honk in protest of school budget cuts Tuesday in San Francisco.

Photo: Lacy Atkins, The Chronicle

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Dennis Kelly, President of the Unified Education of San Francisco Union, addresses the superintendent and other members of the school board Tuesday Jan. 26, 2010, in San Francisco. Kelly was among an angry crowd that were protesting the proposed budget cuts. less

Dennis Kelly, President of the Unified Education of San Francisco Union, addresses the superintendent and other members of the school board Tuesday Jan. 26, 2010, in San Francisco. Kelly was among an angry ... more

Photo: Lacy Atkins, The Chronicle

$113 million, 2-year, S.F. schools cut asked

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San Francisco's school Superintendent Carlos Garcia laid out his plan Tuesday to bridge an expected $113 million budget shortfall over the next two years, describing it as a long list of "horrible and deplorable" cuts that rival those experienced during the Great Depression.

It's that bad, Garcia said.

His plan, presented to the school board Tuesday night, would eliminate up to 400 district positions, including 100 teachers resulting from an increase in K-3 class size, from 22 students to 25.

Garcia also called for decimating summer school, teacher training and other programs; shrinking paychecks across the board through unpaid furloughs; and cutting busing, especially for high school students.

"I absolutely take no pride in what I'm going to share with you," he said earlier in the day. "There are things in here that go against my beliefs."

A group of teachers demonstrated outside district headquarters before the meeting, then brought their chants and songs inside the boardroom.

Getting a head start on the effort, the board voted Tuesday to cut summer school programs this year, restricting classes to seniors who narrowly miss graduating with their class, and required special education programs.

The $113 million budget gap is spread over two years. The district's annual operating budget is about $400 million. The district is already factoring in $6 million from the city's rainy day fund.

The district faces the huge shortfall because of state cuts to education over the past few years combined with the state's decision not to provide cost-of-living increases last year, this year and probably even next year based on the governor's proposed budget.

This year, the district is getting $4,945 per student in unrestricted funds from the state, down from $5,626 the year before. Next year, the district is projecting $4,977 per child. That's about $1,165 shy of what the district should be getting for each of its 55,000 students if they had received the cost-of-living increase.

Pink slips likely

Garcia said he hoped an early retirement program for teachers, as well as attrition, would significantly reduce layoffs, but pink slips appeared inevitable. About $44 million of the proposed cuts, including the increases in class size and the furloughs, would require the support of labor unions.

"We want to make sure we get heard on all of this," said Dennis Kelly, president of the United Educators of San Francisco, adding he wants to see what cuts are being made across the district before endorsing any plan to hit teachers. "We can trust, but we need to verify."

Under Garcia's plan, every district worker would be required to take two furlough days a year, equal to a 1 percent pay cut. That would save $9 million over the two years, Garcia said. The furloughs could mean fewer teacher training days or a shortened school year.

Also on the list: suspending teacher and administrator sabbaticals for a savings of $4 million over two years.

Teachers outraged

Several teachers at the meeting expressed outrage at the proposed cuts, specifically those affecting their jobs and classrooms.

"It is not our job to accelerate the destruction of our schools," said Moscone Elementary School teacher Lita Blanc. "We're going to fight the cuts to our pockets and our students."

Some of the biggest savings would come from cutting or eliminating so-called categorical programs - funding previously designated for things like teacher training, dropout prevention, tutoring, violence prevention and opportunities for gifted and talented students.

Because of the budget crisis and cuts to education, state legislators gave districts the flexibility to spend that money as they wished rather than on the specific programs. Art, music, libraries, physical education and High School Exit Exam help would be among the many things to be affected along with the district administrators, teachers or other staff members who run those programs.

It is unclear how many positions would be cut from the central office, although the Academics and Professional Development Department, which oversees many of the categorical programs, would likely see the biggest hits, Garcia said.

"We went through every single line item of every single budget," the superintendent said. "We had to prioritize cuts that affected the fewest number of kids."

Board members are expected to consider a budget proposal in February to guide labor negotiations and then vote on a final budget in June.

"I regard this as a beginning," said board member Jill Wynns of the superintendent's proposals. "But we're going to have to understand a lot more" about the cuts.

What would be cut at schools

San Francisco Superintendent Carlos Garcia, above, presented a plan to cut $113 million from the district's budget over the next two years. Here are some proposed trims:

$11.5 million: A freeze on teacher and other employee pay increases tied to experience

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